Automatic call distributors (ACDs) are specialized systems designed to match incoming requests for service, for example a telephone call or an e-mail, with a resource that is able to provide that service, for example a human call center agent. ACDs generally perform one or more of the following functions: (i) recognize and answer incoming calls; (ii) review database(s) for instructions on what to do with a particular call; (iii) using these instructions, identify an appropriate agent and queue the call, often times providing a prerecorded message; and (iv) connect the call to an agent as soon as the agent is available.
Agents in call centers utilizing ACDs receive incoming customer calls routed to them by the ACD, or they place call center related calls to customers. In either case, whenever an agent is engaged in a call center call, the ACD system marks him as being in a “talking” state. Once the agent is identified to be in a talking state, the ACD system will not transfer any new ACD calls to the agent. Agents are expected to be available for ACD or call center incoming and outgoing calls when they are “on the job.”
“Informal” call centers employ agents for many tasks other than call center activities. Usually the incoming call load into an informal call center is low, and agents may have greater freedom to use their phones. A problem may arise when an available agent receives or initiates a personal or other low priority call while a customer-related ACD call is being routed to the agent. Such personal calls are generally handled by a call manager or other network server. If the low priority call is an incoming call, for example, the system experiences a critical race between the low priority call being handled by the call manager and the ACD call being handled by the ACD. If the ACD transfer completes first, the low priority caller hears a busy signal or is forwarded to a voicemail system. If the lower priority call completes first, however, the ACD call fails. As a result, a customer who was previously notified that the ACD call was being transferred to the next available agent may be returned to the queue. Accordingly, the level of service provided to customers may be reduced and customer satisfaction adversely impacted.
Additionally, because the call center or ACD system may automatically transfer the agent to a “not ready state” when an ACD call is withdrawn from the agent, the state or availability of the agent may be incorrectly identified to the ACD system. Where historical records of an agent's handling of calls are maintained, the historical record associated with the agent receiving a withdrawn ACD call may erroneously identify the agent as unresponsive.